Ag News and Views: June 2009

To determine if you are working your pastures hard or smart, consider your pasture and grazing plan. What was your plan this spring?

Bluegill are an important species when it comes to fisheries management. Bluegill provide an excellent forage for bass due to their ability to reproduce at incredible rates. During one summer, a female bluegill can spawn three times releasing 2,300 to 81,100 eggs per spawn.

The agricultural community can address climate change by reducing its emissions and adopting management practices that enhance storage of carbon in soil. The objective of this article is to describe the effects of grazing land management on soil carbon storage.

There has been substantial discussion and debate among lawmakers about the implementation of a cap-and-trade policy as a means to mitigate the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Heat stress can greatly impact cattle producers through decreased milk production and subsequent calf growth, decreased reproductive performance in cows and bulls, and decreased stocker and feeder performance. It has been estimated that heat-related events in the Midwest have cost the cattle industry over $75 million in the past 10 years.

Most of the weeds that are present in your pastures as we approach summer will probably be perennials plus some annuals that you missed with your initial chemical application (if there was one). The transition from spring to summer is the right time of year for brush control, as long as the weather is good.

Who owns the water? In both Oklahoma and Texas, surface water (streams, creeks and rivers) is the property of the state. The use of this water requires a water permit. With a permit, water can be used for irrigation on a use-it or lose-it rule.